Adra Writes

I arrived in Bangkok for the first time last February. At first glance, it was a massive city that seemed to suffer from heavy air pollution on that particular day. But I couldn’t be bothered by it because I was anxious for my friend to arrive later that night. I also couldn’t care too much because of an intense episode of food poisoning that I had brought with me from Vietnam the previous day.

I spent the day in the toilet mostly but I did venture out late in the evening to see the market and food streets. I grabbed a coffee that would later prove fatal to my bowels and leave me watching several episodes of Modern Family in the bathroom. Pro tip: don’t drink coffee if you are ill.

My dear friend finally arrived in the wee hours of the morning and I was overjoyed to see her face after 6 months. We spent the next couple of days exploring Bangkok, visiting some beautiful temples, zooming in tuk-tuks, and drinking fruit smoothies.

After I recovered enough from food poisoning, our next move was to fly down to Krabi to hangout. Krabi, while infinitely smaller than Bangkok, was a very hopping place. Lots of restaurants, bars, and nightlife. We were staying near Ao Nang Beach and while the beach wasn’t the biggest or the best, it was enough for a day to layout and watch a sunset.

After we finally figured out how to buy boat tickets, we took a short ride over to Railway West beach. This place was infinitely more beautiful than the beaches in Krabi. My favorite beach in the area was a 10-minute walk to Phra Nang beach, which is where the Princess Cave filled with a shrine of phallic objects is also located. The area was surrounded by immense rock formations that hung over the sand in some areas. Our fellow beach bums were all very pleasant and contributed to the jovial atmosphere.

Before leaving Krabi, I would recommend to anyone there to go to Muslim Street to find the best food in all of Thailand. They also had some beautiful sarongs and other beachwear. It was without a doubt our favorite food during the whole trip.

After waiting for a whole day for my laundry to finish, we were finally able to get out of there and take a ferry down to Koh Lanta. We price checked some travel vendors on the main road and made our reservations. They came and picked us up in a nice van and drove us to the ferry the very next morning.

After what seemed like an eternity in the bowels of the ferry, we had finally arrived at our paradise for the next week or so; Koh Lanta. This place was strongly recommended to me by a friend and it did not disappoint. We stayed in a bungalow on Klong Nin Beach. I don’t think I have ever arrived on a beach and been so awestruck by how beautiful the surroundings were. There were so few people around, and the sand was so clean, but the Sea was literally shining. It was unbelievable. We were so happy to be there, and the facilities were so nice as well. They had good food and a popping bar with great staff.
We spent the next week sitting on this beach, eating burgers, chatting up with the other guests, and trying not to get burnt under the powerful sun. Unfortunately, the jellyfish came on our second day, so swimming was an at your own risk situation but it was still great to sit out, sleep in, play games, or have a drink in the paradise that is Koh Lanta.

I know it is popular to visit Phi Phi Island when in Thailand, but I am so glad we didn’t go. Koh Lanta was a perfect location for us to relax and chill out. When we wanted we ventured out for a nice dinner and even attended a mushroom party with the great staff at our hotel. We also had the chance to go on a snorkeling boat trip, but I might save that for another day.

My final thoughts on the South of Thailand is that it is the perfect travel destination. I noticed people from all walks of life, with kids, married, older, mother/daughters, party gangs. They all came, and Thailand had something great to offer all of them. Economically, it is more than affordable. The hotels and hostels are varied, so you could choose whatever price range is suitable for you. The excursions at travel vendors were reasonably priced. It’s an incredibly safe place because tourism is the main economy, so locals are more than helpful. If anything, look out for the other tourists who have had one too many drinks.

I can’t wait for these vaccines to get out so we can start traveling again. If you are deciding where you want to go when the coast is clear, I would 100% recommend going to the South of Thailand (on the Andaman Seaside) to find your paradise.

Leave a comment down below on your favorite Thailand or South of Thailand experiences and destinations. I am looking for some ideas for my next trip!!